Toronto: Responding to an invitation from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will visit India in November.

Though no official announcement of the Prime Minister's visit has yet been made, Canwest news agency quoted official sources in Ottawa as saying that Harper will be in India during November 15-18.

During his meetings with the Indian Prime Minister, Harper will in all likelihood ink a free trade agreement to boost bilateral trade between the two countries.

Apart from New Delhi, the Canadian Prime Minister is also likely to visit Mumbai and possibly Chennai or Hyderabad as many Canadian companies are based there, the news agency said.

Both Harper and Singh have extended invitations to each other to visit their respective countries.

Under Canada's 'look-east' policy since 2003, two Prime Ministers have already visited India. While Jean Chretien was in India in November 2003, his successor Paul Martin travelled to India in 2005.

Harper, who took over in 2006, will be the third Canadian Prime Minister to visit India.

On the other hand, no Indian Prime Minister has visited Canada since IK Gujral during his short stint in the office in the late nineties.

The visit of the Canadian Prime Minister assumes significance as Canada is expanding its business presence in India by opening more trade offices.

Reversing its policy last year, Canada backed India at the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to allow it access to nuclear technology and fuel. It followed this up in January by resuming nuclear ties with India which were frozen after New Delhi conducted its first nuclear test in 1974.

The Canadian nuclear industry is eyeing business worth billion of dollars through sale of uranium and nuclear technology to India.

"The footprint of Canada is very strong in India and it suggests that the government is building a foundation on which to really expand trade, which has been minimal," the news agency quoted a former political staffer who has been advising the Canadian Prime Minister on India as saying.

Since January this year, as many as five Canadian Cabinet ministers have visited India to push up bilateral trade currently pegged at USD 4.6 billion.

Toronto: Canadian Premier Stephen Harper will visit India next month to discuss with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a bilateral free trade agreement and other steps to lower trade barriers, as he prepares to boost his international standing ahead of key summits next year.

Harper is set to visit India next month and is hoping to visit China at the same time, the Vancouver Sun said.

The paper said the trip could pay dividends for Canada's standing on the world stage as it prepares to host key summits in 2010 like the G8, and a G20 leaders summit in Huntsville in July as China and India are influential members of the G20.

"Harper can boost his standing among other leaders by demonstrating a close relationship with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao," it said.

"The two are both a billion people each. The two are both the booming economies of not just Asia but of the world," the paper quoted a source who has been pushing Harper's advisers to improve ties with the Asian powerhouses.

Besides New Delhi, Harper is also expected to visit Mumbai and might consider visits to the cities of Chennai and Hyderabad where Canadian companies are active.

Harper will head to India after attending the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Singapore to be held on November 14 and 15.

Harper will have meetings with Singh and will likely stay in India until November 18, the paper said quoting Canwest News Service. However, an official announcement is expected only by the end of this week.

Singh and Harper are expected to discuss establishing a Canada-India Free Trade Agreement or smaller steps that would lower trade barriers between the countries.

Canada is working to boost trade relationship with India, which now stands at a nominal USD 2 billion a year.

"The footprint of Canada is very strong in India and it suggests that the government is building a foundation on which to really expand trade, which has been minimal," said an official who advises the PMO on India.

Toronto, Oct 6 (PTI) India and Canada are set to boost their economic ties, with the two nation in the final stages of finalising a series of trade-related pacts, including nuclear commerce and moving towards a free-trade agreement.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will visit Mumbai and Delhi between November 15 and 18 and meet with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, sources said, adding that it is intended to be a turning point in the trade relationship between the two nations.

Last week, India's Commerce Secretary Rahul Kullar met in Ottawa with Trade Minister Stockwell Day and other top officials and signalled that after years of little progress, India was seeking real advances in trade.

A long-awaited deal on investment, an agreement on energy exchanges, and an accord that allows Canada's nuclear industry to sell to India are expected within about a month, according to a press release issued by the Indian High Commission.